Foods that are only served on special occasions are often fondly remembered for more than just taste alone. Sekihan is glutinous, or sweet, rice coloured red with adzuki beans and will get anyone from our dad’s generation on the Japanese side of our family exclaiming with gusto. I don’t remember eating this as a kid, […]
Gobo to Ninjin no Kimpira – Burdock and Carrot Kimpira
At this time of year in 2010, Tomiko and I flew to Tokyo and spent a month staying with our friend for hanami – cherry blossom viewing. Tomiko and I got gobo to ninjin no kimpira – burdock and carrot kimpira – from the supermarkets in Tokyo and ate it on fresh, white rice for breakfast […]
Duck Fat Potatoes
Ducks are waterfowl and capable of flying, which in turn means they have a lot of fat on their bodies. Duck fat itself has a somewhat mealy texture and a delicious, umami, savoury flavour. It has a high smoke point, which means it doesn’t burn easily, so it’s great for frying foods like potatoes, asparagus, […]
Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival
On a cold but sunny spring day we piled into the car and drove up to Bruce’s Mills Conservation Area, one of the sites for the Sugarbush Maple Syrup Festival on the outskirts of Toronto. When we were tykes, our mom would stuff us into the car and take us to the springtime maple syrup […]
The Year in Books: April with Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson
Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson is a book about the history of cooking and cooking utensils, from roasting spits and fireplaces to mortars and pestles and chopsticks. It explores the way our kitchen tools influence what we eat, how we eat, and what we feel about what […]